There used to be a lot more public toilets in the UK. Oh, many of them are still there, they just don’t serve the same function as they once did. With the price of urban real estate at a sky-high level, these spacious former conveniences have been put to other uses. Such is the case with the Edwardian Cloakroom in Bristol.
Rather than selling off this Grade 1 listed Edwardian toilet in Bristol, the local council kept hold of it and, following conservation of the local area, turned it into an art-space.
Built in 1904 in a style typical to the area at the time, the toilet features individual Ladies and Gents blocks, which local artists are able to hire out free of charge to use as exhibition spaces.
Instead of tail-coated gentleman and well-to-do women, the black and white tiled floor and wood-panelled cubicles have seen visitors coming in to view pop-up shops, art shows, installations and even plays.
Such conversions are happening in other countries, too. Read about public toilets that have been turned into bars, restaurants, hotels, shops, theaters, museums, and even homes, at Urban Ghosts.
(Image credit: Flickr user mtx)